A Day with Varric
by 9shadowcat9
Summary: Evelyn plays Wicked Grace with Varric. Sequel to Therapy.


It was almost painful watching the Inquisitor trying to communicate. Varric's lessons had made her passible in basic communication but as a whole she had a habit of descending into Court Speak without thinking. Josephine had delighted in holding conversations with her and Leliana had tried to gently correct her but to everyone else? She seemed like a stuck up noble wearing to much makeup. Now she was out of her room Varric had tried to continue his lessons with her. If she was going to settle in she needed to learn to talk properly. She needed to loosen up and stop worrying about pleasing everyone around her.

"And that is how you play Wicked Grace." He finished happily, dealing out the cards. He'd go easy on her, maybe even let her win. This was about her unwinding after all. The noble held up her hand in confusion, turning a card over to see if she was holding it upside down. She then corrected it and looked at Varric. "It's your move."

For a player of the game, Evelyn was awful at this deception. Although that might be more to do with not knowing the rules. She drew a card and placed a one of serpents with a confused frown. And thus the game continued. It drew a crowd in the main hall, the nobles all muttering as Evelyn proved repeatedly that she was awful at card games until the Angel of Death appeared. It was almost a relief when the game ended.

In a way, he'd expected a good hand. She'd proven repeatedly her ability to deceive with facial expressions. Instead she showed a hand of odds with a confused 'Is it good?'.

…Maybe he'd listed the rules to quickly…

Evelyn took a new hand, ignoring the titters of the crowd around her. She did just as badly during this game if not worse.

"…Tell you what? I'll repeat the rules." He said in an attempt to be nice. She nodded and listened to the rules again, even repeating them back. She proceeded to lose the next five games so badly that he finally let her win out of sheer pity. Even Leliana's agent had joined in, trying to help choose which cards to discard. The noble had followed her advice and the best she'd gotten was a pair of knights.

"So you've never played a card game?" He said re-dealing the cards. Evelyn shook her head taking her hand.

"My tutors thought it more important to teach me music and dance. I played the lute and the viol." And Varric smirked because he could work with that. "I was also taught the running of a household and how to hold basic social gatherings for allies to increase my social standing in the Orlesian Court. At 16 I would have been expected to either become engaged or join either the Templars with my brothers or join the Orlesian Chantry as a Sister. My education was focused on that until I was sent to my Aunt in the Free Marches." Varric continued to smile. Evelyn still wasn't comfortable with her magic and had made it clear she didn't want it mentioned. She'd already twisted the Emprise du Lion story so it was Dorian who'd saved the day.

"So what style of music did you play?" There were many kinds, the most common being music played in dances and Chantry music for hymns. Evelyn played her card thinking for a few seconds.

"Hymns mostly. My brother sometimes sang as I played. My voice never suited the hymns of the sisters but Vincent (My eldest brother) had an amazing voice but no talent for an instrument. My mother was apparently beside herself with his birth. Heirs are expected to learn at least one instrument to play when entertaining."

"So what does he do now?"

"He runs the basics of the family business with his wife. I hear she was expecting when I left." Which meant she had a niece or nephew running around and knew nothing about them.

"I never could play an instrument. Spent more time writing my books, and being robbed blind by my publisher apparently." He was going to kill him.

"My mother knows a wonderful bard if you're interested." The scary part was Evelyn sounded completely serious with her offer of an assassin.

"Nah, I've already filed a complaint. Soon no one in the Merchants Guild will deal with him." If he survived. The guild didn't like its members being ripped off, especially when the member ran a spy network and provided good information at a reasonable price. She played another card nodding.

"The offer remains open; she has done wonderful work for my family. Plays the viol beautifully." And with that the angel of death appeared and Evelyn lost again. She had to be trying to be this awful. Around her the nobles had separated. There was no gossip to come from the Inquisitor playing cards so they returned to their circles.

"Would your mother be happy with you lending out her bard?" Families tended to try to keep good assassins close to their families, paying well for the protection. They were yet another Orlesian symbol of power. My bard is better than your bard.

"Probably not but I'm sure she'd understand the need of the Inquisition." And with that Evelyn folded with grace, not trying another game. Which was good because there was only so many times Varric could win without feeling like a jerk. "Varric…" Uh oh. "Was there anything you wanted from the Inquisition?" He laughed uneasily. Yeah, he wanted red lyrium wiped off the face of Thedas.

"Yeah, maybe some better ale for the tavern." He joked. She blinked in confusion.

"That's it. Nothing else?"

"That's it." He agreed smiling.

Three days later the Tavern had new ale and Varric was trying really hard to explain what a joke was. He knew she knew what a joke was. She'd definitely made a joke at some point because he remembered laughing at it. Maybe it was when she was still in shock at getting marked. He definitely needed to continue the lessons, maybe one on sarcasm and wit next.


End file.
